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Beginner's Guide to Ranked Games Part 2: Gameplay Tips

Part 1: Beginner's Guide to Ranked Games (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/showthread.php?p=13963210#post13963210)

Updating for pre-season 4!

Part 1 covers all the basics of ranked games. It contains information about how draft pick works, among other ranked game elements that are very handy for players new to ranked games.

However, lacking in it was gameplay tips, or how to actually prepare for playing ranked games. For those looking for tips on things like masteries, runes, and other gameplay elements, part 2 contains just that.

This guide is intended for ranked gameplay on Summoner's Rift (5v5). It is split up into multiple posts due to character limits per post.

The "Meta"
This is a term that gets thrown around a lot. Yet, there's no real definition for it, or at least ones that can easily be applied to some video games. "Metagaming" as a term began for mathematics, but has extended far beyond to other concepts.

To keep it simple, when people refer to the "meta" in League, they are generally talking about the most efficient composition and strategy/playstyle to play the game.

You've no doubt noticed this. Lane arrangements are frequently the same: AP mid laner, bruiser top laner, support and carry bot lane, and a jungler.

Why does this exist? Essentially, after years of LoL existence, players eventually just found what appears to be the most efficient way to win.

The thing is, the meta does matter, even if it does lead to predictability.

Let's explore why the meta is the way it is currently. This is important because knowing why you're doing what everyone else is doing is vital in eventually figuring out how the other cogs of the game works. It's just like education - It's essential to have a good foundation, which leads to better problem solving and thinking later on.

One thing I really want to mention: While the meta is what everyone does, it does not mean it has to be strictly followed. Sometimes, purposely changing things up can counter an opposing team better. Just remember though, that the meta is the way it is because it is the most efficient way to win the game, which is why it is uncommon for it to be changed. Changing it is very situational.

The Mid Lane
Previously, this has always been an AP laner, although recently it is now more flexible with types of champions. At any rate, the mid lane gives access to the other lanes most easily. In addition, it's the shortest lane. It also has closest access to the Ancient Golem buff, also known as the blue buff.

AP characters are more reliant on getting levels faster than other characters to ensure their burst damage remains lethal - They scale very well with levels. In addition, they almost always appreciate blue buffs, since having essentially unlimited mana and reduced cooldowns is very helpful. The shorter lane gives them access to faster farm and makes it less dangerous to move out or retreat. Again, advantageous because they're also fragile.
Due to the shorter lane, it also means less stackage of minions before reaching the tower, which allows the mid laner to roam more often. An AP character roaming is advantageous due to their burst power and potential crowd control.

Please note however that again, this is not always the case - You may frequently see AD champions in mid lane as well. The same advantages of a short lane and easy route to other lanes is still there.

The commonly used spells are Ignite and Flash.

The Top Lane
The top lane is actually a bit of an oddball because of how it's structured. Now, this lane is a big 'farming lane'. It has a much longer lane distance, as well as being more isolated compared to the other lanes. Minions easily stack up multiple times before reaching towers.

Due to the isolation and farming potential, characters need to be able to fight 1 on 1, farm, and have a way to keep themselves alive from ganks by the jungler. As such, most of the time the top laner is a bruiser, but this is not always the case. There is flexibility depending on team composition.

It is noticeable though, that most of the time the top laner has these qualities even if they're not a bruiser.

The commonly used spells are Ignite and Flash, although occasionally Teleport, Exhaust, and Ghost are used.

The Bottom Lane
Bottom lanes almost always contain a support and an attack damage carry.

The reason why an ADC is always included on a team is because they usually bring a range advantage. This can be really important in fights. The other reason is they scale the best with items, which of course means gold.

You may ask why the ADC is not in the top lane, since that tends to be a farming lane. ADCs severely lack early game power, which means they lack qualities useful for a top laner.

But, in the bottom lane, there is room for a support. The support is essential as they aid their carries, especially during their weakest point (early game). They can help keep them alive through abilities and wards, as well as provide them the ability to farm safely. Later on they're still vital again due to their kit, support items, and wards. A support may lack qualities that would efficiently make use of solo lanes, so it makes sense to pair them with a carry.

Pre-S4's radical changes have really opened up room in that nearly any champion can be a support. Kill lanes, AP support mages, etc.

But there is another reason why this is the way it is: the dragon. The dragon is an important objective usually past early game, and it is located closest to the bottom lane. Since it is an important objective, it is a good idea to have more champions closer to it. Thus, two at bottom lane.

The commonly used spells by the ADC are Ignite and Flash, while the Support commonly uses Exhaust and Flash. Occasionally other spells are used - more info can be found in the spells section.

The Jungler
Not much to say on this one. They exist because jungle monsters exist - leaving those alone is a waste of potential experience and gold. More importantly, they prevent the game from being too stagnant due to the threat of ganks by a non-laner. By jungling, they also allow the existence of a second solo lane, maximizing experience/gold gains.

The "Smite" Summoner spell carried by junglers becomes very important for objectives (Baron and Dragon, as well as buffs). It's why Smite is always taken, even if it's not "needed" early on.

The commonly used spells include Smite and Flash. Occasionally, Flash is replaced by a different spell like Exhaust or Ghost, depending on the jungler.

Summoner Spells

These vital abilities give every player extra options to gain an advantage over their opponents. An interesting thing to note is that spell usage also follows a meta. Currently, that means always having one spell for escaping (Flash or Ghost), and the other depending on the lane. I also listed commonly used spells by the roles in the meta above, and explanations can be found here.

The Important/Popular Spells
Revive and Clarity no longer available on Rift in S4.

Flash
It is seen in every game on Rift because positioning is extremely important in League. The ability to suddenly escape or close the distance is alluring and useful. It has the advantage of going over terrain too.

Despite numerous nerfs, it is still extremely useful and I doubt it will ever lose favour. There really is no wonder why so many use this, especially since it is considered essential to always have at least 1 escape spell. Its long cooldown is practically the only thing that gives other spells a chance to take its place.

Ignite
League can be a snowballing game - that is, small advantages can pile up, increasing to a large one over time, eventually leading to a win (although pre-S4 changes are dialing this back). This is not always the case as it can be stopped or turned around, but obviously having an advantage in the first place helps a lot.

Ignite is one of the spells that helps snowball by allowing someone to kill their lane opponent. By taking them out, they can gain an advantage early on, and hopefully win the game later on because of this. In addition, it is still useful late game because it deals true damage (not reduced by armor or magic resist) and has Grievous Wounds, which reduces healing by 50%. This is very useful against certain champions or abilities, although also just in general against healing.

As such, it is common to see solo lanes grab it, but can be used by anyone really.

Barrier
In S3 Barrier gained rapid popularity thanks to the rise of powerful assassins and general changes to the game. It remains just as popular in pre-S4. ADCs will commonly go for it, but it is not off limits to others.

Teleport
Actually a great spell, but underused because of its difficulties, complications and heavy reliance on good team communication. Teleport can often be severely game changing, but it is difficult to use properly. A person would need to have very good map awareness that extends beyond simply looking at the mini-map - he/she also needs to constantly scan his/her view around to actually see what's going on.

It is also difficult because one needs to know when to use it. It's lengthy channel time not only leaves the champion vulnerable to being hit by something that can cancel it, but it obviously also makes it harder to know when to use it to jump on the enemy team. Too early or too late can result in a waste or potentially making things worse.

In addition, having Teleport takes up a slot that could be used for another spell like Ignite. It is commonly taken by the top laner, and sometimes the mid laner and jungler. However, because of the mid laner's reliance on bursting down opponents, they usually take Ignite.

Teleport is very powerful for controlling objectives and the flow of the game. It gives the top laner freedom to stay in lane until he/she is needed to secure dragon, or if a fight breaks out. Later in the game it can be very game changing since it allows one to "split push", which means to push another lane away from teammates. They can then teleport when a team fight breaks out. As such, it's common for the champion taking teleport to be one who isn't concerned with snowballing early on, but to win through split pushing and objective control.

ExhaustA powerful spell that greatly cripples the target for a short time, reducing their damage output and speed. This spell becomes more important that later a game goes because stopping someone from annihilating teammates goes a long way to winning. As such, it's always important at least one person carry this spell on a team.

It is commonly used by Supports because its short range means the ADC would have to put themselves at bigger risk to effectively use it. However, the support generally is able to get within the short range much more easily, especially when not being targeted. This spell may also be used by the other roles, but that is not as common.

Exhaust was nerfed significantly in S3, but it still remains in pre-S4 an almost essential spell to have on each team.

Ghost
Repeated nerfs to Flash have made Ghost slightly more attractive, but it still remains a fairly situational spell. In many fights, the instant travel Flash brings is too advantageous to give up, especially as it allows travel over terrain. Ghost, as said before, is a situational spell that can actually be better than Flash, depending on the champions and ganks. For example, it can work on Olaf because his ultimate can cancel crowd controls, which combined with Ghost grants an easy escape or makes him extremely difficult to escape from. It can lead to better snowballing due to its shorter cooldown, allowing better escapes and chases. It is often taken over Flash if it is used.

Smite
The most important spell for junglers. Smite is not only useful for clearing the jungle faster, but it is essential for objectives (Baron, Dragon, and buffs). The instant true damage either makes taking objectives faster, or allows you to steal or take it before the opponents do. It is simply too important to have for a jungler.

Pre-S4 reduced its cooldown significantly but also reduced its early game damage. As such for certain situations/champs the early jungle might be tougher (take more damage).

Other Spells
These spells are much less common, either because they're more situational or they're not that useful at all.

-Heal: Heal has had numerous changes, being popular in S2 then back to unpopular in S3. In pre-S4 it has not changed much and likely will continue to remain unpopular (on Rift anyways) due to other more attractive spell options. Also the fact that its AoE heal requires everyone to stand near each other, and very long cooldown.

-Clairvoyance: CV was part of the meta before Season 2's changes, almost always being taken by the support. Then it was apparently "overnerfed" until Season 3 changes rolled in. Pre-S4 has not changed it since then. It is rarely taken due to competing options (namely, Exhaust). The new vision system may make it even less popular since more wards are on the map now.

This doesn't mean it's useless, just that it's harder to use. If someone does know how to use it effectively (By tracking the jungler, preventing ganks, or assisting teammates when chasing an enemy through bushes), it can really be better than any other spell. In general, this spell, like teleport, is more likely to be taken by pre-made team members rather than in solo queue.

-Cleanse: If it is taken, it is usually by the ADC. Not a bad spell, but quite situational. Depending on the match up, if the ADC can't afford to go offensive or the opposing team's CC just seems too high, Cleanse can a great choice.

Masteries
Masteries are free stat boosts every player has access to. Once you're level 30, you have access to the maximum of 30 points to allocate as you please.

However, to prepare for ranked games, masteries will need to be taken seriously. Although their benefits seem minor, they actually are still a big deal.
Commonly used masteries
As with every season masteries receive a significant overhaul. Generally, most players will still go 21 points in one tree, and 9 in another. You generally want to take what will benefit you the most.

Note that you do not need to follow what everyone else is doing. Masteries can be much more variable depending on the champ or just plain player preferences. Choose what is best for you and/or the match-up.

AP mages tend to take 21 in offense, favouring the extra AP related stats. ADCs tend to go 21 in offense, favouring the attack related stats. Supports usually take 21 in Utility for support related stats like extra gold per second. Bruisers or tank characters take 21 in defense for extra tankiness and some utility.

Jungler depends on the champion. Offensive ones like Lee Sin take 21 in offense, while tank junglers like Nautilus take 21 in defense. It is common for all junglers to take at least 9 points in defense to take advantage of Bladed Armor, which returns damage when struck by minions. This is very helpful for junglers.

Why damage reduction is very useful
These were too strong in S2, and was 'nerfed' by requiring a larger investment in S3. Now in pre-S4 it's been nerfed significantly to a much smaller investment and bonus.

This mostly applies to top laners, as they often do end up taking a lot of minion hits compared to others. These masteries can make a huge difference in both surviving duels with a top laner, as well as allowing one to 'freeze' a lane more effectively. The jungler will also find this useful, although they often take some damage reduction so they can grab Bladed Armor, which requires 9 points minimum in defense.

For mathematical details, you can check out this article here (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/redirect.php?do=verify&redirect_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reignofgaming.net%2Fblogs%2Fa-different-view%2Fdiff-the-ender%2F20780-indomitable-the-defensive-mastery-that-makes-you). While it is from S2 (and thus outdated) the math remains the same - the damage reduction can be really useful. Back then -5 vs champion attacks and -2 from minions/monsters was incredible. Nowadays you can only get -4 against champs (as a melee champ), but that's still not bad. If you're against autoattackers, Doran's Shield is your go-to item for damage reduction.

Masteries to consider (Situational)These masteries are more situational than others and should not be used in all cases. Here I talk about why they should be considered and when.

Awaiting updates - still playing around to see if there any 'bad' masteries once again!

Offensive Tree

[U]Defensive Tree
-Reinforced Armor: Reduces damage taken by critical strikes by 10%. This is 10% off the entire damage output however. So a 250% critical strike is reduced to 225% damage. It's situational because it really only comes into play late game where crits become common. Recommend taking this if against multiple critical strikers, especially Tryndamere, or when playing a late game tank champion (like Singed or Nasus).

Runes
Runes require a lot of IP to get. But if you plan on playing competitively (aka ranked games), you simply have to pay much more attention to runes. Runes are interesting in that there are a huge variety of them, and they can really give players the edge they need. Unfortunately, their presence also brings in some complications and of course, some "traps" to avoid.

Do not buy runes before level 20. Once you reach level 20+, you can start buying tier 3 runes. Some agree that tier 2 runes are a waste, but tier 1 is worth it on the trip to level 20 since they're cheap (they can later be combined in hopes of getting a useful rune). This is really up to you, but I like to assume not everyone has a lot of time to grind for IP, and so I recommend only buying tier 3 runes.

What runes to get - The bare minimum "universal" set
I highly recommend checking out this rune guide here for a ranking of runes: Rune Tips (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/redirect.php?do=verify&redirect_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mobafire.com%2Fleague-of-legends%2Fbuild%2Frune-tips-what-secondary-and-primary-means-and-more-24255)

Hopefully you already know the basics. Runes are separated in different tiers, but simply enough, only tier 3 runes are worth buying.

Next, there are primary and secondaries. Certain types of runes provide the best bonuses in one category (primary), but less in others (secondary). For example, you can get the best attack damage bonuses as Marks ("Reds&quot, compared to Seals or Glyphs ("Yellows" and "Blues&quot. Quintessences provide the absolute best bonuses, but you can only have 3 as opposed to 9 of those. Some bonuses are exclusive to Quintessences as well.

My recommendations are slightly different from the guide, since I value Movement Speed quite a bit. This is practically the bare minimal every player should have before playing ranked games. These runes will work with every single champion in the game (hence the "uinversal" set) and also provide the most "bang for your IP". Take armour penetration for physical damage dealers and magic penetration for magic damage dealers.

The +1 gold/10 Quints are for supports. The extra gold gained over time is invaluable as a support, especially since they do not farm. This makes a big difference in being able to purchase items, wards included. This may change in S4 due to more gold gain for supports

If you're looking for a middle-ground between damage and armour penetration, here's a bunch of combinations. The 4th setup is very much in the middle, with an option for slightly more Apen for less AD as the 5th.

Hybrid Penetration runes: Worth it?Hybrid penetration runes get special mention because they're kind of an odd stat that many players wonder about.

Obviously, a select few champions like who actually deal a good mixture of both magical and physical damage (such as Jax, Kayle, and Shyvana) benefit greatly from these runes. However, an analysis of these runes (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/redirect.php?do=verify&redirect_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reignofgaming.net%2Fblogs%2Fa-different-view%2Fdiff-the-ender%2F23126-hybrid-penetration-marks-analysis-by-difftheender) reveal that they can also be pretty good on traditional champions too, but only by a small amount. In other words, if you're not playing as a hybrid champion, is ~5% extra damage for early to mid game worth your IP (as these are very expensive runes)?

What runes to get - Other more specialized runes

You will want to have other runes of course, for more specialization of certain champions. Other runes I recommend getting when you can afford it, include:

Marks: Attack damage, Attack speed
-The S3 changes have made attack damage and attack speed runes more attractive. The nerf to Apen runes means attack damage is much more effective early on (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/redirect.php?do=verify&redirect_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reignofgaming.net%2Fblogs%2Fa-different-view%2Fvvinrar%2F22582-the-effect-of-season-3-penetration-rune-changes-on), so those looking for a better early lead will like AD runes (keep in mind penetration still scales better the later a game goes). Plus, certain champions benefit greatly from extra attack damage, such as AD casters like Riven and Pantheon. Attack speed is more niche but benefits certain champions, especially some junglers, a lot. It is more attractive now due to attack speed items being more expensive.

Seals: Mana regeneration, Health (flat or scaling)
-This really depends on the champion. Since AP mid laners generally don't need armour as much as others (keep in mind armour is still useful regardless of lane), they can go for something else. Personally I find mana regeneration per level very useful as I like playing as mana hungry champions like Anivia. Some may suggest ability power but they have drastically reduced stats as Seals. Health or armour is a decent option for mana-less champions.

Glyphs: Ability Power (flat or scaling)
-Some AP mages may want to forgo defense for more offense. AP per level blues break even to flat AP blues by level 6, which is why I recommend those.

Quintessences: Several
-There are multiple Quints that can be useful, it all just depends on the player and match ups. For example, flat attack damage or AP for stronger early game damage.
-Life Steal: These get special mention as their power has dramatically increased with the new season. Nerfs to Doran's blade as well as the cost of life steal items has made life steal quints a competitor for other runes, especially for ADCs. It depends on the champion, but many ADCs benefit hugely from these, as it grants item build flexibility and very strong lane sustain. Commonly it allows an ADC to start with Doran's blade for strong early game, and allow them to build damage earlier as they don't need to build life steal items right away. To emphasize, it's 6% life steal from the start of the game - Vamp scepter provides 10% for 800 gold.

What runes to avoid
The rune guide I listed should easily show you what to avoid, although keep in mind that it is all the author's opinion. However my recommendations would be pretty close.

Avoid critical damage or chance - Armour penetration or damage tends to be much better in all stages of the game. Very few champions, like Tryndamere, gain more from critical runes.
Also avoid energy runes - aside from being very expensive, they're not that useful as energy champions do just fine without them.

Commonly used runes by roles

These are commonly used runes by the role, but remember that this is just a list of popular ones. There can be more specific rune configurations depending on the players and match ups.

Bruisers typically favour defensive runes to ensure survival in both the lane and in team fights. Some more offensive ones will take attack damage to attempt to dominate early game.

Mid Laner (assuming typical AP mage):
-Magic penetration reds
-Flat armour or mana regeneration or mana regeneration per level yellows
-Ability power or ability power per level or magic resist blues
-Various Quints, such as movement speed or ability power

AP mid laners generally want to get as much out of their burst as possible, so they often sacrifice defensive runes for offensive ones. Depending on matchups though, they may change it up, as some may prefer magic resistance for example. Movement speed is also an option here, as mages are not only roaming frequently, but they also tend to move slower (positioning is also important).

ADCs generally want to make farming easier for themselves, as well as out-muscle their lane opponents or ensure late game dominance. As such, it's common to see offensive runes here. Armour seals are a must because of the opposing ADC.

Supports must absolutely have the gold/10 Quints, as this makes a huge difference in each match. Flat armour is highly recommended due to the damage output of ADCs, although some may risk the lack of defence for even more gold/10 (be warned this is risky as non-tanky supports are very fragile).

Even though armour reds are inefficient, they may be taken by supports if they feel magic penetration won't be worth it (generally, the more fragile support champs). Aggressive supports like Leona and Alistar benefit more from magic penetration.

As mentioned before the S3 changes have made attack damage more valuable early game, so it is expected that AD reds are common. Tanky junglers, as well as a few other certain champions (like Udyr, Nunu), benefit from attack speed. MS quints are common due to the fact that junglers are always on the move.

An alternative rune purchase guide can be found here (http://www.reignofgaming.net/blogs/a-different-view/vvinrar/23882-gaming-on-an-ip-budget-what-to-buy).

Suggested List of Champions to use

Disclaimer: Ultimately, it is up to the players on how to play the game. Lists of "good" and "bad" champions can be made but in the end it is all just theory and opinions.

What I'm doing here is suggesting some champions that:
-I have personal experience with
-Are relatively easy to play with
-Their strengths are easier to utilize, compensating for potential weaknesses (as opposed to more "high skill cap" champs)
-Has justification as a generally 'safe pick' for ranked games for the average player.
-Rarely banned.

Nautilus (Jungler): Weak early game that is easily made up for once he gets some levels. Nautilus is basically a 'king of CCs', having 4 CC abilities and a great combination steroid (shield that also gives him AoE damage). His passive is absolutely incredible and makes it so much easier to help teammates, rooting pretty much anyone within attack range. Well designed kit as he can also be surprisingly mobile with his Q. He's an ideal tank - lots of CC yet hard to kill.

Jarvan IV (Jungler): J4 is the champ that comes to mind when describing "jack of the trades".

He is a tanky bruiser that can deal damage while being tanky, contributes greatly to team fights and ganks, is highly versatile in the jungle, and scales well throughout the match. His kit provides great utility/cohesion. For example, his flag aura benefits teammates, provides vision, and can be teleported to. His mobility with E + Q makes his ganks deadly because he can jump into un-warded bushes (some players ward outside bushes), close the gap quickly, can add additional CC to a lane, and may be used as an escape or movement option (over terrain!). His Q shreds armour making teammate damage that much stronger.

Unforuntately his ultimate is somewhat regarded as a joke in the community, since it's not really "impassable terrain" and inexperienced players can screw over teammates with this.

Items to consider (Still updating for pre-S4!)

General

Doran's Shield
A previously rare item to grab, it was buffed by adding damage reduction in S3, then changed again in line with other Doran's items by reducing cost. Unlike the other Doran items however, it basically got buffed again with damage reduction now at -8 vs champ attacks. This is a great item to consider if against an auto attacking harasser and you anticipate playing passively early game. It's also a great counter to certain AD low level kill attempts.

The Support Role[/U]
"Nobody likes to play support, yet everybody likes to win" (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/redirect.php?do=verify&redirect_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dota2wiki.com%2Fimages%2F8%2F89%2FDlc_bastion_announcer_team_complete_our_nosupport.mp3)

Why you should consider Sightstone
The new changes in S4, namely trinkets, means everyone should be warding more frequently now. However, the problem is trinkets are really only 1 ward, and they don't last as long as normal wards. As such, Sightstones still remain useful purchases.

Sightstone was, and still remains, great since you'll save gold compared to always purchasing individual wards. You can check out this article here (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/redirect.php?do=verify&redirect_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reignofgaming.net%2Fblogs%2Fa-different-view%2Foldmaneyebrows%2F22729-why-and-how-supports-should-rush-sightstone) for more info (Note: Outdated as Sightstone costs much more now, but it still makes its point across in gold savings). Even with S4 changes, players other than support still fail to buy wards so you'll want to make an inventory slot dedicated to warding - hence Sightstone.

Sightstone can also be a worthy purchase on non-support roles. My favourite is on Lee Sin, since it gives him so much mobility and vision.

The Jungler Role
(Not yet updated for pre-S4!)

Draft Pick TipsSuccess in Champion Select
I was going to write something on this, but someone else wrote exactly what I had in mind, check it out (http://na.leagueoflegends.com/board/redirect.php?do=verify&redirect_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2Fleagueoflegends%2Fcomments%2F15vhiw%2Fsuccess_in_champ_select_not_as_simple_as_draft%2F).
-Composition, common bans/picks
-Adapt to all situations

Other Tips
-Read Sun Tzu
-Psychology, thinking/attitude

Turn off all chat
All chat is simply a gateway to psychological warfare.

What purpose is there to talking to the opposing players, or the "enemy"? To belittle them. Verbally assault them. Taunt them, get into their heads so they perform worse. It applies to every competitive thing out there - People just don't play as nice to their competition.

That is why all chat should be turned off. It serves no purpose except psychological warfare.

You might think "Well, that's a good thing, I can be a jerk to my opponents and make them lose!". Unfortunately, it goes both ways, and even if you're resistant, it will still affect you negatively. If not from the opponents, the distraction and "urge" a player would get to respond or provoke opponents becomes stronger when all chat is on. It amplifies things by allowing more players to talk and be talked to.

Another reason to avoid all chat is the distraction. It puts less focus on play and more on the trash talk. In addition, when all chat is available the chat history is more likely to be flooded, which can be very annoying for those who rely on it for timers. For example, I often type in objective timers in the chat so teammates know, but if it keeps being bumped up it can be easy to lose track.

Plus, before you could toggle all chat and it was on at all times, people often wasted time using all chat to "justify" their arguments. Some may remember how often players, if they got into disputes or were angry, spilled it out into all chat instead of just team chat. People think yelling louder (or in this case, forcing more people to listen in) would justify their side of the problem better. Simply a waste of time and a huge distraction/annoyance to everyone. This problem still continues if all chat is on.

Lastly, probably the most compelling reason to avoid all chat is the risk of punishment. Due to the nature of all chat, in that its purpose is nothing but to really just trash talk the other team, players run the risk of going too far and getting themselves suspended or banned. It's probably one of the major reasons why toggling all chat was introduced in the first place, and why all chat is disabled by default.

Note: All chat cannot be disabled in custom games, so you don't need to worry about turning it on when playing in customs. The toggle of all chat applies only to match made games.

Excellent guide, thank you very much for taking the time to write it up. I especially found the section on Masteries helpful... I had no idea Havoc was as ineffective (in most situations) as the analysis indicated and will adjust my masteries accordingly this evening when I get on to play. Thumbs up for ya.

I actually feel *something like this* should be displayed as a tutorial or disclaimer the first few times tries to Queue for ranked.

Something like:

Quote:

"SUMMONER... it looks like you're about to play your first ranked game. The environment is very, *very* different and you will have a *much* better game experience if you *prepare* yourself with YurdleTheTurtle's Beginner's Guide To Ranked"